Roy Yamaguchi: the king of Roy's Restaurants rules by serving regional Hawaiian cuisine to subjects around the globe - The NRN 50: R&D Culinarians - Interview

It's tempting to draw parallels between Roy Yamaguchi and the legendary royalty of Hawaii.

Aside from the fact that Hawaii is the only U.S. state with a royal palace and the only one that was a kingdom ruled by its own monarchy, the name Roy means "king" in several languages. And not only has Yamaguchi been described as a culinary patriarch for his regional Hawaiian cuisine, but also Food & Wine magazine pronounced his original Roy's restaurant "the crown jewel of Honolulu's East-West eateries" in 1989.

Although his nature is more unassuming than imperial, Yamaguchi does possess the deep devotion to his dominion that any good ruler would. He regards his staff, customers and purveyors as ohana, which means "family" in Hawaiian, and has dedicated his brilliant career to a vision of no less than global awareness of his region's culinary riches. To many who know Yamaguchi, being part of his world is much like being part of a very large royal family.

Born in 1956 to a Japanese mother and Hawaiian father, Yamaguchi grew up in Tokyo, attended American schools and often visited his grandparents on Maui. He finished high school in 1974 and, with a burgeoning interest in cooking, enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. After graduating in 1976, he moved to Los Angeles and apprenticed at such top-drawer establishments as L'Escoffier, L'Ermitage and Michael's and also worked in several other upscale restaurants. During that time Yamaguchi's distinctive culinary identity began to emerge.

He opened 385 North in Los Angeles in 1984, where he introduced his innovative Euro-Asian cuisine. His food received critical acclaim, and in 1986 he was recognized as the "California Chef of the Year" by the California Restaurant Writers Association. Later he was the subject of a Ron Appetit cover story that credited him as the first chef to infuse classic cuisine with authentic Asian flavors.

Yamaguchi moved to Hawaii in 1988 and opened the first Roy's in suburban Honolulu. The menu brought to life his ultimate vision of melding local foods and cross-cultural Hawaiian specialties with his own brand of classic European culinary techniques. The results, along with stunning vistas and an attentive service, instantly garnered raves.

While Yamaguchi was collecting accolades, he also was busy developing Hawaiian regional cuisine, a movement spearheaded by a cadre of local chefs dedicated to supporting and promoting the local foods of Hawaii.

"It didn't make sense to bring in from Asia the products we needed," Yamaguchi says. "We wanted to raise the quality of products and convince the farmers to grow more. They were hesitant because they didn't see a market for produce like baby iceberg lettuce, but we convinced them to think out of the box, and now their products are being bought up. Hawaiian tomatoes are now the best in the world."

Most important, because Yamaguchi radiates his passion for native foods, he creates a bond with his suppliers.

"We're on a small island, all competing for business, but we're all friends," he says. "I consider the farmers to be stake-holders in our restaurants--just as important as our guests. My relationship with the farmers is what it's all about."

Using indigenous ingredients, Yamaguchi draws on Hawaii's already multifaceted cuisine--a lattice of Japanese, Chinese, Philippine and Southeast Asian flavors--and deftly combines it with his technical skills to create an entirely new food culture. Roy's menus across the United States and in numerous cities within the Pacific Rim abound with novel classics, such as butter-basil Hawaiian mahi mahi with Maine lobster sauce; Mongolian pork tenderloin roasted with sake, soy and pineapple sauce; and a delicate Napoleon showcasing haupia, a traditional Hawaiian coconut custard.

With 31 Roy's Restaurants in locations as disparate as Tampa and Orlando, Fla., Seattle and Guam, only a like-minded partner could effectively maintain the quality and consistency of Yamaguchi's innovative cuisine. That's precisely the job of Gordon Hopkins, Yamaguchi's corporate executive chef and business partner of 14 years.

"He's my family," Hopkins says. "It's like I'm married to him except that we get along better than married people." They met when Hopkins was executive chef at a Honolulu restaurant where Yamaguchi ate lunch every day for a week. "And he ordered the same dish every day--roasted chicken with shiitake mushroom, apple and bacon stuffing," Hopkins recalls. "I finally sat down with him, and he told me about the restaurant that he was going to build on the most beautiful spot just across the water from my restaurant. I left a high-paying job and bet all my money on Roy. That was in 1988."

Hopkins' work for Roy's Restaurants requires some 52 trips a year. He hires local talent for each new operation and develops menus that reflect the same principles and beliefs of the original Roy's. "My real job is to ensure that the culture continues. I have to make sure that history repeats itself in every restaurant."

Before a new unit opens, Hopkins perfects the execution of Yamaguchi's 13 signature dishes, which include macadamia-nut-crusted fish with lobster butter sauce, miso-glazed butterfish, Szechuan baby back ribs and blackened ahi with soy mustard butter sauce.

Because all of the new chefs have at least a couple of years of history with Roy's, they are directed to create dishes based on "Roy-style imagination," which are tailored to suit their local markets. In Chicago, for example, Asian vegetable lasagna with fresh wonton noodles and Malaysian curry sauce is served, and macadamianut-crusted scallops with Maui onion-jalapeno mashed potatoes is offered in Las Vegas. For 17 days before an opening, Hopkins and the new staff prepare the menu items at least 25 times and fine-tune the subtleties. Hopkins continually visits existing units to taste and edit, because menus change frequently.

Based on reviews, it appears that Yamaguchi's style has garnered a large and consistent following. Critics gush about the food, and they praise the service. Called aloha service, the attentiveness is based on Yamaguchi's commitment to bring the spirit of aloha--Hawaiian for "recognition"--throughout the country via food. Staff members are trained to please and indulge every guest with a sense of caring and individuality.

"Roy sets the tone," says Bill Allen, chief executive and president of Roy's Restaurants, which has had a 50-50 partnership with Newport Beach, Calif.-based Outback Steakhouse Inc. since 1999. "He is the patriarch of Roy's, a great person--one who attracts great people-and one of the reasons I wanted to be involved."

While Yamaguchi and Hopkins maintain control of the food side of the business, Outback provides realestate expertise, management and capital buying power. Allen believes that the Roy's concept "has got its own niche" and is successful because of its "mixture of high-quality products, relative affordability and beautiful settings." Allen adds that the complexity of Roy's menus requires "a high level of talent and commitment."

When Yamaguchi isn't jetting about or in his restaurants, he's usually still cooking somewhere. This year he also will add two more cookbooks to the ones he's already published and launch a line of cookware. He serves as a consultant to Continental Airlines' Continental Congress of Chefs, which engages influential cooks for the development and improvement of foodservice strategies for business-and first-class dining. Last year Yamaguchi also taped an "Iron Chef USA: Showdown in Las Vegas" appearance for the UPN network series, and this year he'll begin his sixth season as host of the Hawaii Cooks series on public television. And in February he'll cook for the Grammy Awards in New York.

But most important to Yamaguchi, he says, is his tireless pursuit to "place the name of Hawaii in people's minds," and that mission includes educating local children about their own foods. Along with farmer Dean Okimoto and master sommelier Chuck Fryuy, Yamaguchi teaches children from preschool through junior college about nutrition, cooking techniques and the value of their local land. "We can make food better for tomorrow," he says. And his efforts have prompted the state of Hawaii to add more nutrition and food-education classes.

Still, Yamaguchi has other passions. He loves to play the drums and is rehearsing with a few former classmates to play at his next high-school reunion. The gig's not until 2004, but as with all of his other pursuits, Yamaguchi strives to "bring the crowd to its knees."

Yamaguchi confesses that "everything about the [foodservice] industry is my passion," but perhaps his biggest joy comes from helping other people succeed. For that reason, he says, his leadership has resulted in a high level of loyalty among his employees. "About 90 percent of our chefs have been with me for years, some as long as 10 years. It's important that our people stay for a long time."

He says he feels blessed to be doing what he does and is grateful that he also can participate in the "hands-on charity of bringing food to the homeless."

In explaining his own success and wealth, Yamaguchi pauses briefly and modestly says, "I get paid with the love I get."

RELATED ARTICLE: At a glance...

Title: founder and chef

Company: Roy's Restaurants, Honolulu

Birth date: July 22,1956

Hometown: Honolulu

Personal: single, two children

Education: 1976 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y.

Food he would take to a desert island: Chinese dried scallops. "They're a snack, a little salty and sort of like beef jerky. I ate them growing up."

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